Harlequin Black Opal
by Debster
Summary: AU, In the comics Chloe was never a character, but if she was, who would she become and how did she get there. Complete.
1. Funeral

** Harlequin Black Opal **

The rarest of all patterns of black opal showing a quilt of small blocks of color in every shade of the rainbow. It is often said to be the rarest gemstone on earth. 

_ NOTES: One, this is not a character death, so please keep reading past the title. Two, YES, I am messing with continuity. Three, this is set in the future & there will be some skipping around in time to get the whole story. Four, I am pulling some premises from the comics about what the characters end up like. Five, this is a What Ever Happened to Chloe in the Comics kinda fic. Six, I shamelessly admit I had to borrow from real funeral addresses to write this. Seven, before I forget, I do not own any of these characters; they belong to the WB & DC comics._

** Chapter 1: Funeral**

No one looked at the simple casket that held her mortal remains. The bright sunlight made every color seem just a bit more attractive than that dirt brown box. In the background a bright chickadee sang its weird anthem to the departed. Nineteen people desperately tried to listen to the pastor's words. Nineteen people wore black on a late, warm spring day meant for dalliances and picnics. 

"Today we gather to say our final farewells to Chloe Sullivan, her brilliant light was taken from us before its time." 

Lana knew what funerals were like. She had watched her parents' bodies lowered into the ground not far from this spot. If she turned her back on this gravesite she would see the simple granite stone that marked her family's mortal remains. She had spent so much time in this place at night it almost felt like a second home. But the daylight changed the place. It felt unfamiliar, spooky, like the spirits of the dead were watching her from behind the trees, unwelcoming. 

"It is hard to let go of a loved one, especially one whose life had barely begun." 

Lana slowly unclenched her fingers, shifting the single red rose to her other hand. The stem was crushed, but soon it would not matter. The earth would do more damage to the once perfect flower than she ever could. 

"How do you summarize a life?" 

With dignity, thought Lana. With respect for who she was. With regret for not being there when she needed us the most. 

"There is nothing I can tell you about Chloe that you don't already know. She was your friend, your loved one, someone who was always there for you when you needed her." 

Lana was surprised to feel wetness on her cheeks. Raising a delicate hand she wiped the saltiness away. But the wetness came back as her tears continued to fall. Lana didn't know when the tears had started, but they wouldn't stop now. Somehow it felt like she had been crying her whole life. 

"But now she is gone, leaving only her possessions and words behind to give us comfort." 

Strong arms wrapped around her, pulling her back into a comforting embrace. Lana leaned into the warmth offered, taking what little they could share in this grief-stricken place. 

"Do you remember when the first time something of hers was published? The joy? The excitement?" 

Pete pulled Lana tighter to him. For so long he had loved the girl in that simple brown casket. He had never said anything, knowing Chloe had loved Clark. Pete remembered watching Chloe try to tell Clark she loved him. Watched her lose him time and again. Every time Chloe somehow managed to pick herself up and go on loving the boy who loved someone else. It seemed so long ago that he couldn't even remember when his desire turned to friendship. 

"Chloe said that instant her life changed forever. Life had given her a destiny, to change the world with her words." 

Their high school years had been the stuff of soap operas and science fiction: love triangles, heartbreaks, meteor mutants, and an alien. Pete remembered the first time he found out about Clark. The shock had almost been their undoing. But after, after the secret between them had only strengthened their friendship. Now it seemed unfair that Chloe had never been on the inside of the secrets. Clark had never told her he was an alien. Chloe had spent so much of her life trying to explain the impossible. 

"Chloe never let a story remain unwritten. Never left a stone unturned looking for the truth." 

But some stones are too heavy to turn over. Boulders never move with just the strength of one girl on her own. It seemed almost indecent that a damn silly pink slab of marble would now be her last testament in life. Pete wondered if Lex thought the thing would make up for their loss. Lex didn't know anything about Chloe. So why pay for the funeral. He wasn't anyone's friend…at least not anymore. 

"But now her dreams will never come true. Her bright destiny was cut short by a tragic accident." 

An accident we could have prevented if we had been there. A light spring scented breeze distracted Pete from his gloomy thoughts. Looking away from the grave he watched the wind rustle through the emerald green leaves of the graveyard's memorial trees. The day seemed wrong for a funeral. It should bee rainy and dark. If felt inappropriate to morn on such a beautiful day. 

"For those of us left behind the road ahead has never seemed so dark and long." 

Pete felt Lana bury herself deeper in his arms. Gently he held her hands, giving her what comfort he could, what little he had left to offer. 

"It is hard to express the depth of the abyss that opened in our hearts the moment we heard Chloe was gone, in an instant our lives changed." 

Clark watched Pete comfort Lana. Once upon a time he would have been eaten up with jealousy to see his best friend hold the fantasy girl of his adolescence. For so long he had loved her. Clark wasn't sure when the attraction ended. He just knew that one day he looked at her and all he saw was a friend, one who would share his secret and his life. He could remember the day Lana and Pete officially told the world they were in love. He remembered the first time he saw them kiss. It was gentle and passionate and perfect. They couldn't tell him how it happened, what brought them together. No one saw it coming, least of all them. Maybe it was the secret they shared, the time they spent helping him, the alien, living a human life. Clark didn't envy the love they'd found. They deserved to be happy. 

"But we must all look back on Chloe's life and remember what she was to us. She left us all with memories, memories we must cherish." 

Chloe. Clark remembered the first time he met her. Clark hadn't known he had a silly side until he met Chloe. She used to make him laugh at the world, when she wasn't trying to convince him that Yeti existed. And now all that was left of that shinny-eyed blonde girl rested in a plain brown casket. 

"How do we remember her? With love and joy." 

He should have been there, with her at the university. They wanted to do the same things with their lives, become reporters. But no, he had to take a year off. Go explore the world without his friend. He went around saving lives, but when it mattered the most he wasn't there to save Chloe. He could run faster than a speeding train, leap over tall buildings, see through walls, and even fly. But what good was that when he failed to save the life of someone he loved. Life suddenly seemed too short, too pointless. His parents had tried to comfort him, tell him that he couldn't save everyone. No one could do that and if he tried it would drive him insane. This was Chloe though, his Chloe. He should have been there 

"She sparkled when she discovered something new. Every time she found an answer her face would light up with discovery." 

Why hadn't he ever told her his secret? Chloe, solver of mysteries and truth seeker, never got to know the biggest secret in Smallville. It wasn't that he didn't trust her. It was a big responsibility, knowing such an important secret. Sometimes it was dangerous to know. Tears misted over Clark's eyes and he shook his head. That was bullshit, plain and simple. Chloe had deserved to know. Clark always thought he'd get a chance to tell her in his own time, like Lana had shared in his discovery of flight. Even after Clark found he no longer loved Lana he trusted her. But Chloe, who had loved him so long, Chloe… Clark's thoughts trailed off, distracted by a late arrival to the funeral. 

"What Chloe gave is more than any can forget. What little time she spent on this Earth was more than enough to change lives." 

Lex, he looked like a million dollars, with a black suit, black shirt, black tie. Even his eyes were covered with black shades. Time and distance had dulled the pain of their last parting. Clark knew it was his fault, but he could never regret the decision. As much as Lex had been a friend there was some part of him that believed as his father did that Lex couldn't be trusted with "the secret". Lex knew there was something going on, something Clark didn't trust him with, lied to him about. Those last days of summer had been filled with distrust and growing hostility. Even now he could see the chilliness in Lex's expression. Their friendship was over. Like so many things from Smallville, Lex had become part of his past, dead to his future. 

"Never forget what Chloe meant to you." 

His love for Lana had ended. His constant companionship with Pete, different now, they couldn't see each other as much as they used to. Lex, now part of his past that would never be resurrected. And Chloe was gone forever. He always thought she would be there, waiting for him. But now he would never see her again. She was dead. 

"Remember how she laughed and cried. Kept her alive in your hearts." 

The chickadee's song ended. Closer, just above his head Clark heard a red robin take up the memorial music. He knew the bird was just being territorial, warning strangers away, but the silly twittering still brought tears to his eyes. The day, so beautiful and bright, that it reminded Clark of Chloe's life. In his heart he hoped she was happy, wherever she was. With all his heart he wished. 

"She moved on to a better life than this one. We hope she has found peace in heaven." 

Lex almost snorted. Heaven. Ha. As if heaven existed. Spiritually Lex believed in only one thing, Hell, and it existed here on Earth. Lex looked around at Chloe's friends. He could see their pain at loosing a friend. Clark, dressed in an old black suit, stood silently, looking respectably mournful, almost crying. Clark had once been a friend, his only friend. Lex ground his teeth, remembering the arguments. He had trusted Clark with his friendship, with a bit of his heart, yet Clark did not return the trust. Clark lied to him. Lex knew, even now, Clark was still lying to him. 

"In heaven I can see Chloe organizing a newspaper. The news might not be as exciting as what she wrote about here on Earth, but if heaven is perfect place, then that's what Chloe's heaven would be like." 

The birdsong was distracting. In the trees above his head some damned red bird wouldn't shut up. Lex wanted to find a gun and destroy the bird…and the damn trees that wouldn't stop rustling. The noise was a damn distraction. 

"When trying to find the right words for this I read several of Chloe's works and found the obituary she wrote for her father." 

Lex remembered the funeral. Mr. Sullivan had been a very good foreman. It was a shame the man had a heart attack. The day had been dark, dreary, and appropriate. A week before the man had died Chloe sent out several of her best articles to be reviewed by major journalists. Things she had put so much passion into, rejected by so-called serious writers. The single page letter had arrived just before the funeral. Lex remembered the bitterness in Chloe's voice when she told him about those people later. They had ruined her life, taken away the last thing left in her life that mattered. Those people destroyed Chloe Sullivan, but they didn't kill her. 

"'We loved you, Dad. We will never forget you.'" 

Lex closed his eyes and he could see her, so beautiful and alone and naïve. 

"Chloe, remember this, we love you and will never forget you." 

I killed Chloe Sullivan. 


	2. First

** Chapter 2: First **

Journalism had always been Chloe Sullivan's rock solid foundation in her life. Things have a nasty way of changing though. 

Chloe could still remember her days in that leafy little hamlet called Smallville. When writing for The Torch she felt a sense of accomplishment. Even if her friends were the only ones who believed everything she wrote. Chloe remembered the mysteries they solved, the lives they saved. 

Despite the sometimes-bizarre nature of her articles people still respected her writing, even if they didn't believed. Everyone in Smallville had seen enough really strange or freaky stuff that they didn't laugh at her. They just preferred to not know. 

Respect was the difference between the past and now. In Smallville Chloe didn't need to demand respect. It was given freely. If she walked down the hallways of Smallville High, no one pointed her out while whispering to each other. No one avoided contact with her like she was some diseased corpse. Her teachers believed in her talent, if not her subject matter. 

Metropolis University was a different world, no friends, no respect. When she walked down the hallways, the people who knew her from class turned away. 

Chloe could remember the first day of orientation. It was supposed to be one of the best days in her life. She was in college, and in four years she was going to be a journalist. 

Her class of new aspiring journalists was small, only forty-two other people, and a dozen or so of those had plans for Law School. All nine professors in the Journalism department showed up. Chloe felt on top of the world. She sat at the front of the small auditorium, eagerly awaiting the beginning. 

A slight bit of vanity had compelled Chloe to look her best for this day. Her short, blond hair was smoothed perfectly into a fashionable flip-out. She wore a neat gray suit that fitted her like a glove. It was one of most expensive outfits Chloe had ever purchased, but she thought the cost had been worth it. Her lipstick accented the dark red of her shirt. Chloe felt proud of how she looked that day. 

The head of the Department of Journalism, Dr. Wendell Jenson, stood up for an opening address. He was middle-aged, his blond hair combed over a bald spot on the back of head. He wore a snazzy gray suit belonging on a younger man, with a red silk ascot. "Welcome to the best years of your young life. I'd like to congratulate you on choosing the best department at the Metropolis State University." Dr. Jenson continued his speech, his voice smooth and ingratiating. At first Chloe felt the welcome in his speech, but then slowly, she got the feeling that every time he looked at her, the welcome in his eyes disappeared. The first time Chloe thought it was just her imagination. But it happened a second, then a third time. 

Other professors got up to speak after. But on the stand, behind them, Chloe could still see Dr. Jenson. Every time his eyes settled on her, his expression grew cold. 

A mixer was planned for after the speeches. Everyone was asked to move to a large classroom down the hall. The room had been emptied of desks allowing the journalists and students to move around for the meet and greet. The first professor Chloe spoke to knew her. 

"Chloe Sullivan…yes I've heard about you. Worked for the Torch in that place…Smallville, right?" 

Chloe blinked in surprise. His voice carried enough scorn to torch a tree, as if she was some nasty bit of cow remains. "Yes, I wrote for a school paper called the Torch." 

He snorted. "I wouldn't call that trash writing." The man turned his back on her, walking away without another word, making it obvious he didn't want to talk to her. 

Chloe could feel the eyes of her fellow student descend upon her. They started at her as if she was a pariah, a side note to a freak show. They wondered what she had done to earn the animosity of a professor she had never met before, but no one dared ask, afraid they might be associated with this girl from Smallville. 

Sticking around to the bitter end of the assembly felt like torture, but Chloe stayed. Only one professor spoke to her. The lady's name was Dr. Alice Widdle. The woman looked like a well-aged flower, hung up in the closet for years. Her corolla of petals orange with gray roots showing around her hairline. She wore thick red spectacles that clashed with her hair. Her makeup was thickly applied over the deep creases of her smile lines. 

Chloe didn't know if Dr. Widdle felt sorry for her or if she was a just a nice old lady. They talked about everything but journalism, trees and dogs and the apple cider they were drinking. 

The end of the day took forever to come. On her way out the door Chloe suddenly stopped, forcing several other students to walk around her. Chloe ignored the odd looks. She walked back inside to find Dr. Widdle. 

"Why?" 

Dr. Widdle looked at Chloe in confusion. "Why what?" 

"Why do the other professors hate me? I haven't done anything to them. I wrote good articles for the Torch!" 

Dr. Widdle blinked twice, a thoughtful frown forming between her brows. "Chloe. Chloe Sullivan?" Suddenly her face cleared as a memory bubbled to the surface. "Oh, yes, now I remember. Dr. Jenson sent a memo around about you. I still have it." Dr. Widdle dug around in her bag for a moment, pulling out a single slip of white paper. "I didn't bother to read it. I don't care for his methods or morals. Here, I don't want it." 

With a vague smile Dr. Widdle finished picking up her coat and left after the other professors. Chloe was left alone in the room with a paper she was afraid to look at. Her fingers trembled slightly. 

There were several single chairs lined along the back wall. Chloe made her way over to the closest one. She sank down onto the hard orange plastic surface. The cool surface quickly warmed beneath her. Through the silence of the classroom Chloe could hear cars starting up outside, pulling away. 

**Memorandum  
TO: **Faculty and Staff of Journalism  
**FROM: ** Dr. Wendell Jenson  
**SUBJECT:** Incoming Students  


Did you know that the Inquisitor reporters are going to our college these days? Did you know that one is going to be in your classroom? Yes Ladies and Gentlemen we are training the future of supermarket tabloids. 

I was looking through the applications of our new students and found Chloe Sullivan's resume. At first it looked quite impressive. She wrote for and edited her school newspaper, even interned at the Daily Planet. Impressive right? But then I started reading the hogwash she considered legitimate journalism. The articles were aimed at sensationalism and shock. She wrote about so called 'Meteor Mutants', obvious creations of her own imagination. One can even wonder if she illegally created events to back her creative writing. 

Don't believe me? Read it for yourself, it's all in her records. 

Wendell Jenson, PhD of Journalism, Head of Dept. of Journalism, Ambassador of Metropolis Press Core 

Breathe. Chloe closed her eyes. Breath. A tear rolled down her cheek. Listening she could hear her breath rustling harshly through her clenched teeth. 

Chloe suddenly slammed her hand down on a table. Half full cups of watered down cider toppled. A sticky mess pooled over the tabletop, dripping over the sides. Slowly Chloe crumpled the paper. Her eyes, unfocused, distractedly scanned the room. A large crack in the wall across from her caught Chloe's watering eyes. 

With a snarl, Chloe leapt up and crossed the room. The noise of her fist crashing into the wall startled Chloe out of her mood. Looking down her eyes fell on the spots of blood on her knuckles. Around her the room was dim in the twilight of evening. 

In the stillness of the room Chloe's voice sounded harsh. "I will not back down. I will be a journalist. I promised my father, I promised myself, I promised I would find my dream and I won't let some stuck up snob stop me." 

"I promised my dad." 

** NOTES: ** For those who don't know the DC Superman story: Lana was a real character. During the brief time DC spent with Clark in Smallville, Lana had a crush on him (not visa versa). In the end while he didn't end up with her, he did take her flying with him when he first leaned how and that was how she found out he wasn't human. Also note that Lana Lang ended up married to Pete Ross…ya, I know, it don't seem quite right, but that's what happened in the comics. Chloe, on the other hand, is not an original DC character; she was made up for Smallville. In this story I'm using some premises of how the characters end up in the comics, ie, Lana & Pete married, Clark & Lex are enemies. Does that help with the confusion I inspired? 


	3. Time Doesn't Heal All Wounds

** Chapter 3: Time Doesn't Heal All Wounds **

Most of the journalism professors pointedly disregarded Chloe in class. Speaking out in class was pointless. While the other students might respond to her insightful comments, the professors overlooked them. Chloe was eternally glad she wasn't in Dr. Jenson's class. One time, one time only, she had gone to his office to confront the man about the slanderous memo. The secretary kept her waiting for two hours. When Dr. Jenson finally came out of his office he took one look at Chloe, sneered, then walked right past her without a word. The secretary tried to look apologetic, asking her to come back another day. Chloe never bothered. 

As for her grades, the teachers scrutinized her papers with a loud red pen. Not a single error went unmarked, nor a single misinterpretation not ripped apart. Her very best and most researched papers received only middling grades and not a word of feedback. 

At first Chloe tried to talk to the other journalism students, but they soon got the feeling the teachers were out for her blood. Most started avoiding Chloe even outside the classrooms. She was never invited to study, never asked what her grades were, and for her one and only group project the others tended to change the meetings without a word to her. 

Outside the Journalism classes Chloe's life was a bit better. In French the teacher praised her pronunciation, and when she did poorly on a physics test the professor set up a special study group including her. In her dorm Chloe started making friends…most of whom were computer geeks who didn't care squat about university politics. Their futures beyond the university were guaranteed…more or less. 

Unfortunately for Chloe, half of what they talked about she didn't understand. Researching and hacking on the web were completely different from building and programming computers. When they started getting too technical she would smile, nod, and leave. 

Chloe's roommate, Jeni, was seldom there. Her parents lived barely an hour away, and every chance she go she went home. Not only did the girl have a home, but she was also one of those beautiful perfect people made you grit your teeth whenever they were around. She was on the cheerleading squad, had the grades to back her beauty up, and wasn't the least bit shy about flaunting the fact to everyone she met. 

Her part of the dorm suite was done up in pastel pinks and forest green. The day she moved in she brought a pack of friends to help her fix the room up just perfectly. Her pink-shelled Apple laptop was seated next to a fuzzy set of notebooks and pens. The single window had an annoying poof of green fabric cutting off half the sunlight. Jeni's quilt had a checkered pattern of greens and pinks, echoing the paint on the dresser. 

Comparatively Chloe's side of the room looked like a tornado had swept through it. Her blanket was a leftover of a quilting age long gone. Her grandmother had once won a county fair with the prized wedding ring pattern. Piles of papers and books with several, rainbow-hued post-its interspersed, surrounded her laptop. Her bed was rumpled and the basket of to-be-washed-really-soon clothes grew a bit more with every day. 

Sitting there in the empty room Chloe couldn't help but think about her own family. Chloe could remember the pain when her mother left without a word, but losing her father had almost broken her spirit. Unlike most students at Metropolis University Chloe had nowhere else to go. She didn't have a home anymore, no loved ones cheering her on, no family to support her in a crisis. 

The only thing she had left was her friends. Pete, Lana…Clark. 

Lana and Pete were at Kansas State University, only 76 miles away. Clark, who was supposed to be here, with her, studying Journalism, was God only knows where, exploring the world at large…without her. At least that had been the plan. The last time Chloe had seen him it had all been talk, and Clark had still been bailing hay on his dad's farm. 

It hurt that Clark wasn't here, but even more it hurt that she knew he was keeping secrets. She didn't know for sure what it was, but she felt Pete and Lana knew something that she didn't know. Stupid Friends and their stupid secrets could just drive a girl insane sometimes. 

Spontaneously Chloe threw a 'Go Kansas' mug across the room. The thing shattered loudly against the door, gouging a hole in the imposter wood grain. It had been a gift from Lana the day they found out Chloe was accepted at Metropolis University. Lana didn't want Chloe to forget her friends at the 'other' university 

"Hey!" Someone pounded on the door. "Keep it down! People are living here." 

Chloe ignored him. She didn't care if she disturbed the whole damn building. They had a home they could go to…all they had to do was pack an overnight bag. 

Chloe closed her eyes and pictured her father's face. He wasn't a striking man; his hairline had been pushed back a bit every year. His face had steadily grown a bit rounder with time. But he always had a smile for her, a hug when she came home. Maybe he wasn't as strong as Clark's father, but he had been all the family she had ever needed. 

Chloe could remember one of the few times her father had met with Mr. Kent and Pete's father Mr. Ross. It had been almost funny at the time to watch the two men dissing Lex Luther to a man who worked for him. 

Dad came across as a spineless sap. Chloe snorted, remembering what Pete told her the next day. "Your dad seems nice enough, but pops thinks he's a bit of a woos." 

"Well, I like him well enough. I wouldn't want any one else to be my father." Pete had laughed, but there had been a bit of pity in his eyes. 

Thinking back Chloe knew that she had been right. Maybe her dad wasn't a super man, fighting for a better tomorrow, but he was great at the fathering bits. If he was here today, he might not try to fight the university, but he would stand behind her, supporting her through the worst of times. 

A tear slipped out of the corner of Chloe's eye. If dad was only here, college life wouldn't feel like such torture, maybe she wouldn't be thinking about quitting before she had hardly begun. 

Mr. Kent had stood next to her during the funeral. "If you ever need anything, Chloe, just ask. We're all here for you." Chloe never had asked. The Kents were great people, but they weren't family, only her friend's parents. 

A small smile blossomed on Chloe's face. Maybe she had no family left, but she still had friends. They kept secrets from her, but she knew in the end they loved her. 

Chloe looked out the window. Dim red light scattered over the hills in the East. Suddenly she couldn't stand the feel of being closed inside the building. 

Grabbing a light green sweater Chloe stalked out of the west wing of Pelton Dormitory. Outside the university gardeners had created a picturesque scene. The lawn was a perfectly manufactured, two inches of lush greenness. Six violently red and orange Bradford Pear trees stood in a circle around a swirling fountain. Chloe sat down on one of the stone benches standing under the trees. 

Looking up Chloe could see tiny stars peeping at her from between the autumn leaves. The slight breeze blowing through the trees made it look like the stars were twinkling. It felt like peace. 

Life was bad now, but Chloe knew that no matter what, she would not break. She was a strong girl. Her father had believed in her. 

"Never let anyone take your dreams away." It sounded so cliche at the time, but in her heart Chloe could remember the love in her father's eyes. More than anyone else in her life Gabe Sullivan had believed his daughter would live her dream. Every now and then Chloe would catch her father staring sadly out a window, like he regretted not becoming another man, but he never complained. 

For her father, Chloe would become the greatest reporter ever, despite the weasel, Dr. Jenson. 

Chloe lay back on the cool stone bench, closing her eyes. Above her the trees rustled their leaves, singing in symphony to the crickets. 

Tomorrow, she thought, tomorrow is Thursday. She had intro to mass media with Dr. Emile Dodson. One of Dr. Jenson's favorite friends if the way he treated her was any indication. If only she had a friend here to watch her back, to make her laugh at the damned professors. 

She pictured Pete's face in her mind. He was always there for her. Even Clark, despite his tendency to disappear, had been there for her. Maybe they kept secrets, but they could be depended on for moral support. 

Two of her best friends were only 76 miles away. Maybe it was a good time to get away from this stuffy old place. The dried up prunes that pretended to teach class could live without her for the rest of the week. 

Chloe shifted her position, relaxing on the bench. Maybe this wasn't a perfect world she was living in, but at least her friends were still there, waiting for her, ready to love her. 

A cloud passed over the sky above Chloe. Its darkness blotted out the stars. With her eyes closed, Chloe couldn't see it as it sullenly crossed the blue-black heavens. 

Ten minutes was all it took Chloe to get ready. She grabbed a bag from under her bed, opened a few drawers for clothes, tossed all her toiletries in a bag, and grabbed several news magazines for entertainment. Maybe the professors in the journalism department had it out for her, but at in college no one really cares if you take off for the weekend early, skipping out on a few classes. 

Chloe didn't even bother to leave a note for her roommate. If the girl even made note of her absence, Chloe would be very surprised. 

Casually Chloe slung the black bag across her shoulder, grabbed a final book to study, then headed off for the parking lot. She didn't bother to lock the door on her way out, not caring for anything left behind in that room. One of the boys who lived down from her looked up as Chloe passed. He gave her a simple greeting and then passed on. That's how it was in a dormitory. You share a bathroom and roof, but you don't really know anyone. 

Outside the temperature had dropped a little. The wind gave a nippy bite to the air, making it seem cooler in the pitch-blackness of night. 

Her car was on the far side of the lot and by the time Chloe reached it she was shivering slightly. The little off white '84 Miata had belonged to her father. Chloe sometimes wished she could sell the thing and get another, but beyond the cost she couldn't stand the thought of someone else driving her father's car. 

The inside of the car was done in a faded maroon, aged by time and misuse. It smelled like only old, much used cars can, of bodies, garbage, cleaners, and airfreshner. Bits and pieces of her life had accumulated over the semester, taking up space in the back of the car. Chloe flung her bag and book on the passenger seat. 

Chloe pushed in the clutch and the brake, and then turn the key over. Despite its age the engine turned over instantly, coming loudly to life. The radio blared Britney Spears latest bit of idiocy. Chloe's face twisted in a grimace, her slim hands flicking out to change the station. 

Christina Aguliera…definitely not… 

Bon Jovi's Life, now that was music worth listening to. With the right music singing through the car Chloe felt she could take on the world. Looking down at the clock, the green numbers blazed at 8:13pm. She should be at Kansas State by 9:30, never too late to visit her friends who attended that fine establishment. 

Letting out the clutch, Chloe applied gas to the car. Slowly but surely the vehicle gained speed. Soon enough she was on the highway, heading west. 

Behind her the university lights dimmed with distance, soon becoming only a light stain on the darkening horizon. In front the black road stretched forward, into the night. 

* * *

Hey, sorry it took so long to get this posted, I promise I'll try to get the next one out faster. I'd like to thank everyone who gave me the wonderful feedback, and my roomie Deanine for betaing this for me. 


	4. Visitation Rights

Chapter 4: Visitation Rights 

Chloe impatiently tapped her fingers on the steering wheel. 9:30 had come and gone while she waited for the authorities to clean up the wreck that spilled across the highway far ahead of her. On the side of the road more than a mile in front of where Chloe sat, a logger had spilled its cargo, which had caused the chicken truck that had been running behind to swerve and tip. It was almost funny to watch a flock of traumatized chickens flutter over a mile of road. The logger should have been off the road at sundown, but Chloe was always seeing them running at the edge of daylight. It was just her luck that this night would be the one that the logger tipped. 

In the sour light of the emergency vehicles rolling past the lines of cars, the only thing Chloe could think about was that she wanted to be on her way, that, and making bets with herself about how long it would take the chicken man to catch that rooster. 

The damn radio wouldn't stop playing that little tramp Britney's music. Chloe idly wondered if she could write an article about how Britney slept her way onto the radio's rotation. A brief smile lit Chloe's pale face. The thought, impractical and illegal as it was, made her head dance with silly thoughts. 

A new song had been pulled onto the rotation. She had never heard the song before, but somehow the pulsing sound touched something inside Chloe's heart. 

_ I feel my wings have broken in your hands,  
I feel the words unspoken inside...  
And they pull you under, _

Finally a new song, Chloe turned the radio back up and let the rock and roll seep into her. This was a new one for her, kind of sad but with a strong guitar riff. It flowed perfectly with her mood, helping her forget for a moment that she was running away. 

_ And I will give you anything you want, oh  
You are all I wanted,  
All my dreams are fallin' down,  
Crawlin' around... _

Running her finger along where her breath had begun to fog the windshield, Chloe scribbled a set of stick figures holding hands. Two had little triangle skirts, one with two long curls, the other with shorts curls. I'm a pathetic stick figure Chloe scolded herself. Here she was, running away from college, in desperate search of friends. The fact that finding a friend meant being on the road for more than an hour... just pitiable. It would all be easier once she got to Kansas State and soaked up some friendly vibrations from Lana and Pete. 

_ Somebody sa-a-ave me,  
Let your warm hands break right through,  
Somebody sa-a-ave me,  
I don't care how you do it, just   
St-a-a-y, st-a-a-y  
C'mon, I've been waiting for you-u, _

Where was Clark Kent when you needed him? Of course Clark was right where she left him: on the farm. Even knowing where he was, and why he wasn't with her, Chloe half-expected him to show up and save her from the crisis her life had turned into. She should have known better. This wasn't the kind of catastrophe that showed up on Clark Kent disaster radar. Besides, his Lana radar had always been so much more fine-tuned than his Chloe radar. 

_ I see the world has folded in your heart,  
I feel the waves crash down inside,  
And they pull me under,  
And, I would give you anything you want, oh _

In her heart Chloe knew that she no longer cared who saved her, she just needed someone to be there for her, to save her from a world gone mad. Quietly she laid her head down on the wheel, soft heaves shaking her shoulders in rhythm with the song. 

_ You are all I wanted,  
All my dreams have fallen down,  
Crawling around... _

Out on the highway the sirens of an ambulance geared up as it started to pull away from the wreckage. Somebody out there was trying to save lives. 

_ Somebody sa-a-ave me,  
Let your warm hands break right through,  
Somebody sa-a-ave me,  
I don't care how you do it, just _

When you really thought about it, she was lucky, right? She was alive, relatively normal and rational, not unpretty. At least she wasn't out there on the ground with strangers trying to keep her alive. 

_ St-a-a-y, st-a-a-y  
C'mon, I've been waiting for you-u,  
All my dreams are on the ground,  
Crawling around... _

"Lucky," Chloe whispered. Things had been really good once. She could remember her father's warm hands holding her the night her mother left. She wanted her father, her friends. She wanted what she had in Smallville back. 

_ Somebody save me,   
Let your warm hands break right through,  
Somebody save me,  
I don't care how you do it, _

She wanted a hero to come save her, to turn back the time. Only thing was superheroes don't exist; no one was out there waiting to save you from the great cold world. She could give everything to the world, but it only took and took and took. People were the trick to the whole thing. If you found the right ones they would allow you to give without taking too much, and in return you wouldn't be left out in the cold. 

_ Just sta-a-y (stay with me)  
I made this whole world shine for you-u...  
Just st-a-a-y, st-a-a-y  
C'mon, I'm still waiting for you-u _

A policeman tapped on her door, indicating she could move on. Slowly, Chloe inched her car down the road, finally going past the remains of an eighteen-wheeler and the stacks of wood that had once traveled on its bed. Just beyond it, the empty cages of the chicken truck were lit up with dancing colors of red and blue. Chloe's eyes were drawn to two large mounds, mounds of very dead chickens. They were very white and feathery, with surprisingly little blood though. Heart attacks, some part of Chloe's mind provided. She could remember Clark talking about it once, that chickens couldn't take much stress before their little hearts gave out. 

Within moments, Chloe was beyond the wreckage, her mind began focusing on the drive ahead. 

Barely fifteen minutes after the policeman had waved her past the accident, Chloe was driving through the gates of Kansas State University. She knew both Lana and Pete were in the Strong Complex, housed in the Van Zile building. 

Pulling over to the side of the road she waved at a passing student. "Do you know how I can get to the Van Zile dorm?" 

"Sure, that's Manhattan Ave just ahead, go that way," he pointed to the right, "Van Zile is up there on the right." 

"Thanks!" Chloe gave the young man a perky smile, a façade she put on to put off strangers and pulled away. 

"Lucky guy." The freshman watched the girl pull away, silently wishing the pretty blond had been here to visit him. With a wishful sigh, he continued on his way. 

It took only a couple of minutes to reach the dorm. Chloe found a parking spot at the end of the lot. As she got out of the car, she took a deep breath, pulling the cool night air into her stifled lungs. Two and a half hours of breathing recycled car air made the wind outside smell sweet and fresh. 

Locking her fingers together, Chloe stretched her arms as far above her head as she could. She could feel the blood start to circulate again. Running her fingers through her hair, Chloe headed for the dorm. 

By the time she reached the front door, the fresh air had cleared the cobwebs from her head. She suddenly felt kind of silly for showing up on her friend's doorstep at such a late hour on a weeknight. Even if she had chosen to skip classes, they probably wouldn't. 

Looking through the front window Chloe saw that the lobby was empty. Tomorrow would be soon enough to visit. Tonight she would find a nice hotel to hole up in…after she walked some more. Chloe just didn't feel like getting back into the car yet. 

She headed for the side of the building. Chloe could see the corner of a bench situated under an arbor of late blooming honeysuckle. The thicket didn't look like it had been cut back for several months; its emerald green leaves created intimate little worlds around the dorm. White speckles of late blooms were scattered through the leaves, perfuming the air with a sweetness that stirred memories. 

Breathing deeply Chloe sat on the first bench she came to. The thickness of the greenery cut the breeze off, but she could still hear it rustling the branches above her making a melody with the crickets. The scent of honeysuckle pooled around her, creating a cozy little wonderland that Chloe felt at peace in. Her thoughts fell away into the night. 

Nearby she could hear lovers making out, the soft rustle of clothes rubbing together and murmuring of loving words between moist smooching. At first she was too caught up in the simple joy the smells and sights of her haven, but soon the cooing started getting on her nerves. 

But still she ignored it, until a single name jumped out and caught her attention. Clark. Shifting Chloe tried to get nearer the lovers without giving away that she was there. 

"…figured out how he's going to finance his adventures around the world?" Chloe would swear on a Bible that the voice she was hearing was Lana Lang's. 

"I don't think that boy thought things through." She could hear the laughter in Pete's voice. 

"No, but he needs to…his parents can't finance a trip around the world." Lana's voice sounded softly regretful. 

"Don't worry." Pete laughed again. "Clark can do anything he wants. He'll find a way to get around the world. Now stop worrying about him…we have better things to be discussing right now." 

Chloe heard Lana start to giggle madly. 

"Girl, you are one big tickle!" 

"Stop! Stop it Pete, stop it right now!" 

"What do I get if I stop?" 

"This." The mad giggles stopped, a tender sound replacing them. After a minute Chloe, could hear a thump, like two bodies falling to the ground. 

Chloe's eyes glistened with tears she didn't even feel falling. Her hands trembled as the covered her mouth, holding back the cries of shock that wanted to escape. She started scooting back, like a trapped animal trying to pull away from the hunter. 

The one constant she could remember in her life was that no matter how much she loved Clark, he loved Lana. And Pete had always been hers, not in a selfish, needy way, but as a rock solid friend. But Pete had never been obsessed with Lana…she was Clark's obsession…right? How could Lana take not only Clark from her, but now Pete as well… 

Not knowing and not caring what noise she made, Chloe surged to her feet, heading for her car as fast as her sobbing lungs allowed her. She could barely breathe by the time she reached the car. She laid her hand on the door, intending to open it. For a moment, she stared at her own slim fingers. 

Slowly her hand left streaks down the window as she sank to her knees. Sobbing, Chloe rested her head on the door. 

_ Sorry about taking so long on this chapter, I got kinda behind after killing Deanine's computer. Anyway, this chapter kinda came about because I was listening to the opening Song of Smallville (Save Me by Remy Zero) and thought how utterly perfect it seemed to for how Chloe felt at that moment. So here, in the middle of my fic, we get this little, umm, well songfic... hope its not too distracting.   
Debster _


	5. Leftovers

**Chapter 5: Leftovers**

Pain. It wasn't the pain in her heart that brought Chloe back to her senses; it was the pain in her knees. She could feel the sharp rocks of the pavement biting through her jeans, leaving a deep bruising impression. 

Sniffling, Chloe rubbed her nose, trying to wipe the wetness away. The thought of Lana and Pete being together seemed to be the greatest betrayal of her young life. Part of her mind wondered why the revelation seemed so treacherous. Her mind said it was none of her business that they were together, but in her heart she felt like every man in her life that she had loved, Lana had taken…even if Pete had never been hers. Lana had everything she didn't, Pete, Clark, a university that didn't try to grind her beneath its high flouting heels. And Pete, some part of Chloe had always been aware of his crush on her, but her feelings had always been for Clark and she had never wanted to lead Pete on. 

Chloe almost couldn't unlock her car door her hands were trembling so hard. Slowly she laid her hands flat on the window, breathing deeply until the trembling stopped. She let her mind blank out, concentrating on the feel of air passing from her nose down through her esophagus into her lungs. She could imagine it being passed into her blood stream and working its way into her brain. 

Finally, she popped the door open and slid into the little Miata. The cold engine was sluggish starting. Flipping the switch the car lights flooded the parking lot with illumination. The lifeless cars dully reflected the light back. 

Pulling out, Chloe headed for the highway. She was glad it was so late at night; only truckers and a few oddballs were out on the roads. Relaxing her grip on the wheel, Chloe let her mind wonder, trusting years of driving experience to get her through the night. 

The other part of her mind diligently started composing a paper that was due in class on Monday. She was supposed to theorize on the effects of television on modern society. 

Chloe didn't notice the passing of time until she had to slow down for a familiar stoplight. Smallville's one and only electronic traffic regulator. Rubbing her eyes she looked down at the glowing green timekeeper. It was close to two in the morning. Chloe felt a flash of surprise about being back in this little burg. Her autopilot state of mind had brought her back to the place that had been her home for so much of her life. 

The red light changed to green, indicating she could move on through the lifeless street. Slowly she accelerated towards home. Within minutes she pulled up in front of a small blue frame house. The outside looked much neater than it had when she lived there. The lawn was neatly mowed and it was obvious that someone had touched up the paint job. 

Chloe didn't know who had bought the house, and truthfully she didn't want to know. Inching past she continued down the road, finally coming to the local hotel. It was small, twelve rooms in a semicircle around a pool. It took ten minutes to wake the owner up enough to get a room. Chloe didn't remember the man, nor he her, but she got the room in quick order. 

Lying on the bed Chloe couldn't close her eyes. The sent of musty use that all hotel rooms accumulated with age distracted her senses with its unfamiliarity. Not wanting to think of her own life Chloe began to tell herself stories about famous writers. Soon her eyes drifted together as the long hours caught up. 

Hours later the bright sunlight of day peeked around the edges of heavy olive green curtain. Chloe would have continued to sleep but for a truck that laid heavy on the horn. Groggily she opened her eyes, blinking a blurry film away. 

She made her way to the bathroom, grabbing the black bag on her way. Slapping it on the edge of the sink, she grabbed her shampoo and towel. Yawning widely, she turned the hot water on, pulling her clothes off while waiting for the water to warm up. 

Turning the faucet knobs, Chloe searched for the right temperature, just cool enough to not scorch her skin off, and stepped into the shower. Standing under the steaming stream of water Chloe felt the past months wash away. She stood there until her skin started to wither. Finally she grabbed the shampoo and started washing. Soon she was out of the shower, getting dressed in wrinkled jeans and a black Trigun t-shirt from her bag. 

Chloe scrubbed her hair with the towel until it was mostly dry. With quick practiced strokes she applied her makeup, covering up dark circles that remained despite eight hours of sleep. Looking at the clock she saw she had twenty minutes before she had to be out of the room. Quickly she gathered her bit of life together and left the room. Leaving the keys on the TV she made her way to the car, wondering where she could go. 

Clark… 

A wistful smile crossed Chloe face. Well, since she was here anyway she might as well go visit the lughead. Turning left at the stop sign Chloe headed north to the Kent Farm. The vast sea of knee-high cornstalks had a calming effect. Her eyes kept sneaking out across the green waves, hoping to catch sight of a certain sweaty torso. Soon enough the Kent's bright red barn broke up the fields of corn. 

Slowing down Chloe turned down the Kent's drive, kicking up a small cloud of dust on the dry dirt road. 

On the porch Chloe could see Martha Kent gently rocking while she shelled peas. The lady's shinny red hair had gained more gray threads of over the years. Her blue t-shirt had several small stains on it and her jeans were old and well worn. 

By the time the Miata stopped, Martha had put down the bowl of beans. She wiped her hands off and stepped of the porch to greet her guest. To her eyes, Chloe looked pale and drawn. "Chloe, what a surprise." She smiled invitingly, surrendering to well-honed mother-hen instincts. 

"Hi, Mrs. Kent, is Clark up in his Fortress of Solitude?" Chloe was already moving towards the red barn when Martha's voice stopped her. 

"Chloe, wait…" Martha laid a gentle hand on Chloe's shoulder. "Clark isn't up there." 

Chloe's face fell, but she recovered quickly. "Well, that's ok. Will he be back soon?" 

The small silver pin on Martha's lapel glinted in the sunlight, moving with her deep breath. "No…Clark left two days ago. He found a way to finance his wanderlust and we couldn't talk him out of it. He shipped out on a tuna troller nearly a yesterday. He tried to call, but you weren't there." 

Chloe frowned, trying to remember the last time she checked her phone messages. Absently, she rubbed the chill bumps rising on her forearms despite the warm spring breeze. Couldn't anything stay the same for five minutes? She needed a friend and no one was where she left them. Feeling more alone and abandoned than when she fled the hostile university, it was all Chloe could do to hold in her tears. 

"Chloe, why don't you come in for a bit? I've some cola in the fridge." Martha gently placed her hand on Chloe's shoulder, leading the girl up the front porch. 

Inside the Kent's pleasant country kitchen the air was cool and the smell of fresh bread and spices hanging from the rafters calmed Chloe some. Rustling around the room for ice and a glass for the soda, Martha seated her at the kitchen table. 

Chloe absently picked up an orange pill bottle that sat next to the salt. The prescription was made out for Jonathan Kent, for one hundred nitroglycerin pills. The bottle was only half filled with the white pills. Chloe frowned, feeling she was seeing something that should be private. She put the bottle down, pretending she had never seen it. 

Martha slid into a chair next to Chloe, setting down two glasses of cola. 

"So, Chloe, how are things at Metropolis University? Are you having fun, making friends? It has to be a big adjustment. 

Chloe shrugged, uncertain how to answer. She had never been close to Clark's parents. She had not spent much time at the Kent's farm, unlike Pete…Chloe winced at the thought of the boy who she had heard making out with Lana. She was losing the battle to hold in her tears, and Chloe pushed the glass of cola away abruptly. She was not going to have a crying jag in front of Martha Kent. 

"Chloe?" Martha looked uncertainly at Chloe. With her short blond hair tucked behind her ears she had had a childlike look, that her carefully applied makeup did nothing to age. 

For a long moment Chloe stared at Martha, and she just wanted to spill her tale of woe. She wanted to cry on her shoulder and accept the comfort Martha's concerned smile promised. Instead she fled again, pushing the kitchen chair back so roughly that its wooden legs screeched over the linoleum. Not quite looking at Martha, Chloe quickly made her excuses. " I was only passing though and thought I would stop by and say hello, …I need to go now." 

Not waiting for a response, Chloe left the house as fast as she could. She made her way to the Miata, carefully keeping her troubled face turned away from Martha. 

Within moments, she was turning off the dirt driveway onto the small roughly paved highway that ran next to the Kent farm. A swirly dirt cloud hung over the road behind her as she sped away, making a dark smudge on the horizon behind her, though Chloe never looked back to see it. 

It took only a few minutes to reach town and Chloe let her car slowly glide past the sparsely populated main street of Smallville. Her eyes slid past the familiar shop fronts, pausing when she saw her home-away-from-home, favorite after-school haunt, the Talon. There it stood, blazing its lights onto the classic street around it. 

Slowing almost to a stop, Chloe looked for a spot to park. She had a sudden urge to see the inside again and remember the happier times, plus there was caffeine inside. She has always been a sucker for a good cup of caffeine. There was an empty spot close to the front of the café. 

She paused at the doorway, her hand resting on the knob. She could feel the memories welling up. Chloe let them wrap her in the warmth of better times. Opening the door she slipped in, trying not to see the things that had changed. The host turned to her, not recognizing the non-regular blond customer. 

"How many?" The slim black man smiled politely, folding his hands together in front of a neat black suit. He wore a brilliant yellow tie that stood out against his light blue shirt. 

"One…just me tonight." 

"Yes, ma'am, right this way." The host led her to the side of the room, near one of the brilliantly painted columns. Neatly waving, he indicated her seat. "Your waitress Sandy will be here in a moment to take your order." 

Chloe nodded, absently fooling with her napkin. Before she could start to rearrange the table settings, a young brunette woman walked up to her table. The girl wore a short brown skirt, tight blue shirt, and a white apron. Like a chipper little spaniel the girl announced her name was Linda, asking if she could get her anything. Chloe decided to hate her. 

"Coffee, black Columbian, donut, plain." Chloe didn't look up from where she was plucking a loose thread from her napkin. For a moment there was silence, then Linda scratched something on her pad. "That all?" 

"Yah, that all." The girl left finally. By the clock it took exactly three minutes and twelve seconds to get her cup of coffee and donut. For close to twenty minutes Chloe sat there nursing her cup of coffee. Every now and then Linda walked by, eyed the nibbled donut and refilled the mug. 

Several times Chloe heard the bell on the door tinkle, announcing the movements of the customers. Out of the corner of her eyes she could see bodies moving beneath the purple and orange drapes near the front door. Only a year ago Chloe could remember how they had all been here, laughing the day away. Absently she nibbled on her donut. 

"Is this seat taken?" 

Chloe's eyes widened in surprise as she looked up and saw a familiar shinny head. "Lex!" Her voice stuttered to a stop even as a delighted smile spread across her face. He looked just like she remembered him, slick and expensive. His head reflected the lights of room, his deep brown eyes unfathomable. Lex wore a black-blue silk shirt, with matching slacks. 

His only adornment was a ring on the small finger of his left hand. A solid band of silver held a perfect round gem, unlike any Chloe had ever seen. It seemed to have a black base color, yet it had patches of brilliant colors on it 

His expression was unreadable as he waited for her answer. It occurred to Chloe that the last time she had seen him he had been at odds with their little group, especially Clark. Well Clark wasn't here now, and Lex had never actually done anything to her. Waving grandly, she indicated he could seat himself. "As you can see the seat is empty, and I would be glad for the company." 

Surprise flashed across his face, but he turned to sit down before Chloe could process the sight. "I'm surprised you want to talk to me. I thought all Clark's friends were shunning me." He carefully folded his hands on the table, taking a moment to settle himself, looking vaguely uncomfortable. The gears in his mind were turning, gauging the possibilities this encounter afforded him. Clark had made his choices and fled Smallville to work on some stinking ship. If Clark hadn't ended their friendship, Lex might have helped him avoid such desperate accommodations. It wasn't like he asked much, a little honesty, a little trust. Then he'd had the audacity to just walk away? If Clark thought it was that easy to cut ties with a Luthor, he was more naive than Lex had given him credit for. The new arrival, the pawn, Chloe, chose that moment to smile at him. She tucked at her hair behind her ears and leaned on her elbows like the child she was. But she wasn't really a child. A cool resolution took form while he was staring at Chloe. Whether he was in Smallville or not, Clark could still be punished. 

Chloe blinked, trying to think of suitable response. "I'm not sure what problems you and Clark have with each other, but it has nothing to do with me." Curiosity filtered through her mind. "What happened, anyway? Clark never told me what was going on." 

Oblivious to the taunt tired look his pawn was sporting, Lex turned on the Luthor charm. "Me either." He smiled at Chloe's bewildered look. "Clark kept secrets from us all." 

Nodding, Chloe agreed with the elegant man. Trying to turn the subject to more pleasant things, she reached out and gently touched his ring. "This stone, I've never seen anything like it before, what is it?" 

Unclenching his fingers, Lex moved his right hand to touch the ring, gently brushing Chloe's hand. Chloe felt something electric run through her. "A black opal." 

"Huh?" She looked up blankly at the man across from her. 

A small smile crossed Lex's lips, he could see the effect his touch had on the girl, he could see it in her eyes, in the way her breath had snagged when he touched her. "The stone, it's a black opal, the specific type is called a harlequin style, called that because of the colored patches, like that of a harlequin doll's costume." He absently stroked the stone in its setting. "Its one of the rarest stones in the world." 

  
  


* * *

**_Notes: _**Well, Deanine finally had enough time off to beta some chapters. Yes, I am the single slowest updater in existance, but I promise you I will finish this story. I'm working on chapter 10 even as we speak. Anyway the next update should come fairly soon. Maybe...I hope...as soon as it's been beta'ed. Again I appoligize for being so very very very slow.


	6. Lex

**Chapter 6: Lex**

"Son, I heard you took Oliver's shares last night." Lionel's smooth, charismatic voice echoed strongly through the dimly lit room as he fumbled at the door. He seemed little like he had once upon a time, his clothes were mismatched and his step a little hesitant.

Lex looked at his father, his mind flashing back. He could remember when the old man had used the same fumble to make them all think he was blind. Now there was no question of blindness. The swathe of modeled red tissue that slashed across his face made it so no one could doubt it now.

"So?" Lex absently traced the wood grain on his desk, not listening or caring.

"Don't you think you could leave his old man at least a bit of his company to live on in his old age.

Lex looked at his father's face. His hair tumbled in a snaggle of brown and gray around his face, partially hiding the massive scar. He held his head down, his hands convulsively stoking the head of the silver wolf that topped his cane. "Father, did you know you are wearing a yellow tie with a blue and maroon stripped shirt."

Lionel Luther snorted without any humor. "If I am, someone's been switching my tags."

"Or I could be lying, you really just don't know do you, father?"

The old man ignored the jab. "You've done good, son, become everything I wanted you to be."

Lex ground his teeth. "Everything I tried not to become."

"You never had a choice, you were born my son, and my son you have become." Lionel abruptly turned around leaving before Lex could respond.

The sound of a chair hitting the wall followed him out the door. In the office Lex gripped the edge of his desk, his face a mask of fury. His breath came heavy and fast as he tried to bring his mind back under control. Suddenly, his hand flashed across his desk, swiping everything to the floor. His computer landed atop a stone pyramid paperweight. Sparks flew off the computer before dying, the scent of scorched electronics strong in the room.

The young man suddenly sighed; the finely defined muscled relaxed under the pitch-black shirt. He stepped backwards, leaning against the wall, rubbing his hand over his slick head. "I never meant to become like this." His voice barley came above a whisper.

He snapped to attention, his long legs striding across the room and out the door. As he walked across the room Lex dug in to his pocket, searching for the set of key he always kept there. Driving fast was his only escape from the life he was living now.

In the small office that Lionel winced when he heard the front door slam shut. Random thoughts fluttered through his mind, wondering how much worse the world had become during his years of power. Without the distraction of economics and politics to fill his conscious hours, old bits of his soul Lionel had assumed long dead stirred and moaned. They made him question himself, his choices. Flashes of what his son had been like when his wife had been alive faded when held next to the boy that had cut Lionel's eyes out in a fit of rage.

Lionel's hand reached up, lightly brushing across the scar. Once he had feared that Lex would never become the kind of man he wanted him to be, but then that boy, Clark, had broken the last string that held Lex back from becoming a true Luthor.

Lionel knew it was his fault that the friendship had broken. His research on the boy kept calling attention to the Kent family's lies. He kept pushing for the truth, and Lex couldn't stand it. He couldn't stand the proof that Clark, a person he had invested with saint-like virtues, was a damn liar. Lionel hadn't expected his curiosity to free Lex the way it had. He hadn't known how close his son was to the ideal Lionel had always imagined for him

In the end, Clark Kent was still a mystery, only half-unraveled. He was little more than a dabbling interference in the maturation of a Luthor, which turned out for the best in the end. It still pricked at his curiosity, but without urgency. Losing his eyes and his company to his son was a relief. It was the way it was meant to be.

At his greatest moments of satisfaction, the doubt would return. Lionel couldn't understand how these regrets could torment him when he knew he had molded a perfect successor. Lex was his son in every way.

Trapped in a fit of conscience, Lionel remembered the end of the old Lex. After he'd read Lionel's carefully researched dossier on Clark. Lex had confronted his friend. Lionel had heard the shouts from his bedroom in the west wing. The details weren't important. When the shouting was over, Clark denied nothing, told no secrets, and walked away. Lex on the other hand, vented his frustration in a very real way. Lionel traced his finger across the scar on his face again.

* * *

The silver Spider kicked up a cloud of dirt as it left the smaller road and entered the country highway. Lex fed the small car more power, his existence reduced to rush of wind passing the around him, the muffled roar of the engine, and his ability to keep the car on the road that was built for half the speed he was going.

On a whim he turn towards Smallville's Main Street. The car quieted as he approached the single stoplight, newly installed near the Talon. The light turned yellow, then red. He would have sped on through except for the old woman who had chosen to walk across at that moment. Impatiently he tracked her movement across the road as the light turned green.

He continued to sit there after the woman was across, his eyes caught on a familiar car. He remembered the cheap Miata from the times he'd met with his former foreman, Gabe Sullivan. Lex frowned. Now that Sullivan was dead, Chloe had to be the one owning the little piece of junk, right?

Without any real conscious decision Lex steered the smooth Spider into a parking spot. 'Why do I want to talk with that girl she's one on Clark's friends?' If there was one thing he didn't want to resurrect it was his former friendship.

Lex paused with his hand on the crystal doorknob. Some part of him knew that there was no going back once he stepped through that door. Almost he turned back, towards the grayness that had consumed his life to this point, but opening that door would tip the balance.

On some level he was aware that stepping through that door could mean damnation. Plans that were still nebulous urged him forward. He wanted his revenge. He wanted to make his enemy suffer.

And some small part of him screamed against the insanity consuming his soul.

_

* * *

_

_In case no one noticed this was a bit of a backtrack, doing bit of catching up on Lex. Also I started writing this during season 2, so I didn't know alot of the Luthor family 'history.' Anyway hope you enjoyed this chapter._

_Debbie_


	7. Playing Life

Notes: Yes, I still exist. Sorry its been so long, but I moved and lost track of some things. Anyway, I'm trying to finish this even though my beta reader isn't reading, so any mistakes are mine alone. I'm reading over each of the chapters I have and publishing them as is...if anyone is even still reading... Anyway againI appologise for taking so long to finish.

Debbie

Chapter 7: Playing Life

_Back to the story..._

Linda, a waitress at the Talon, felt genuine surprise at the sight of the famous Lex Luthor sitting with that annoying girl at table four. She had not worked at the small café very long, but had learned early on that Mr. Luthor was a partner in the small business. The owner was off at college leaving this place in the hands of the manager Jeremy Briskens. But for Mr. Luthor to come here was unprecedented these days, he hardly ever came to town to socialize with locals. The newspapers often showed mature models and socialites on his arm, not dowdy teenagers.

Totally ignored her current patron, Linda avidly watched her newest source of gossip for school the next day practically hold hands. Keeping on eye on table four Linda edged towards Jeremy.

"Hey, who's the girl sitting with Mr. Luthor?"

"Chloe Sullivan, an old friend of the owners. Table six needs a refill, Linda." Absently the manager waved Linda back to work. He knew better than to draw the attention of Lex Luthor.

At table four Chloe shifted uncomfortably. She could feel the heat of Lex's fingers all the way down to the pit of her stomach.

A small smile twitched at the corner of Lex's mouth. "Let's leave this place." Carefully he slipped his large hand around hers. Standing, he tugged her out of the room. Chloe offered no resistance. The little bit of kindness he had show her touched a desperate need in her, no matter the risks.

The bell on the door rang quietly as they pushed through. Outside a cooling breeze playfully ruffled Chloe's hair. Automatically she headed for her own car, but Lex's hand gently tugged her towards his silver Spider. Chloe ran her hand across the smooth finish of the hood, leaving a line in the thin cover of dust.

"Been driving?" Chloe suddenly wanted to hear his voice.

Chloe sat in the silence, absently twisting her fingers. Lex drove his car without the benefit of music. The well-insolated interior of the car made it possible to hear each movement throughout the vehicle. Under her feet Chloe could hear the faint hum the wheels rolling over the road and feel the car hit small potholes. The bright afternoon sun was high in the sky directly in front of the silver car.

Occasional clouds played havoc with Chloe's eyes, making it brighter and dimmer. The movement of Lex's hand briefly caught her attention as he slipped his dark sunglasses on. He also lowered the visor to block more of the bright light.

Nervously Chloe attempted to turn on the radio, but Lex's hand stopped her.

"I like listening to the sound of you." He flashed her a quick smile before turning his attention back to the road. Chloe's eyes flashed wide in surprise, then sinking back into her seat she closed her eyes and tried to listen for the sound that seems to so intrigue Lex. The only thing she could hear at first was the soft hum from the car, more felt than heard, then slowly the sound her own breath slowly rasping. Over the hums she heard the sound of Lex's soft breathing, of his hands sliding over the leather wheel.

After a minute Chloe let all the sounds except for those of Lex faded into the background. With her eyes closed she began to notice more of what seemed to be Lex. Under the oiled scent of leather and car she could smell something that was uniquely Lex. A custom scent, Chloe thought, not something that any other man could ever wear.

Across from her Lex sat with his eyes firmly fixed on the road, stretching out ahead of him. They were already more than half way back to his mansion.

A part of his mind tried to create a reason for him to bring the girl home. It wasn't as if he ever really spoke to her, even when he was friends with Clark. He had read her articles throughout her high school career, always noting that despite the wildness to her tales, the grain of truth was always there for those who could see beyond the boundaries of the everyday.

But this girl had little to do with him personally over the years; she had always just been one of Clark's little friends. The part of himself that was questioning his actions rudely pointed out the only thing he could do to this girl was hurt her in a way that would hurt Clark.

The growing coldness in him suddenly reared its ugly head. Clark had lied and manipulated him for years, it was only fair that he returned the favor. Since the boy wasn't here, this girl would have to do until Clark returned. He slanted a look at her. Chloe's eyes were shut and he could see her breathing deeply, as if she were trying to scent everything in the small interior of his Spider. Her face had a clear innocence, a trusting look that left all her burdens at the Talen when she followed him to the car.

His coldness cheered, drowning out the noise of the dimming voice of reason. The foolish girl should have never trusted a man like him.

Slowing Lex pushed a button on his dashboard, causing the gate closing the Luther estate in to swing open. As the car pulled across the boarder between the state and his private territory everything became slightly quieter and smoother as the rough country road gave way to the perfect pavement of his driveway.

Lex let the car slowly move up the drive, watching for the silly white sheep his gardener was using for maintenance. One was out the now, cowishly munching on one of his boarder flowers. Lex ground to a halt, not really wanting a bloody mess on his drive. Chloe's eyes snapped open, glanced around, started to ask why they were stopped when her eyes locked in on the sack of wool eating Lex's gladiolas.

Chloe blinked twice, glanced at Lex's bland face, and then looked back at the sheep.

"Umm, Lex, are we stopping for a sheep who is eating your gladiolas?"

"Yep." Lex continued to eye the sheep, his face expressionless except for a slight curve at the tip of his lips. The dark glasses covered his eyes.

"Lex, why is a sheep eating your gladiolas?"

Lex heaved a sigh, "Because I have a great idiot of a gardener, who seems to be even now trying to play Bo Peep with his lost sheep." Chloe giggle when she noticed an old man trudging across the lawn, with a Sheppard's hook cradled in his arms.

Lex rolled his window down, patiently waiting for the old man to walk up. He was brown from head to toe, dark brown shoes and pants, slightly stained by plant matter around the cuffs. His lighter shirt was stained with sweat. His brown face was lined by age and sun. His brown hair was spotted by gray, with even more in his beard. Chloe smiled when she noticed the crimson rose stuck in his bushy hair.

"Mr. Luther!" Despite his appearance of age the man deftly hooked the stray sheep and pulled the protesting creature off the drive and out of the flowers. "Sorry sir, Cally escaped while I wasn't looking. Won't happen again."

"Of course, Williams, but please, try to keep them off the drive, I really don't want to run one over."

Lex nodded to the man, rolled up his window and continued down the drive. Chloe twisted in her seat, watching the old man dwindle as he tried to move the sheep back to its fold.

Giggling Chloe said, "Lex that was the silliest thing I've ever seen!"

Lex pulled up close to the front door of the Luther estate, quickly sliding around the car to open Chloe's door. Chloe smiled hesitantly up at the handsome bald man, wondering why she was here. The majority of her relations with the Luthers had been limited to Lex's father and even that had been...a brief association.

Mr. Kent had always believed that Lex was born of the devil, Clark had told her once. She couldn't see it. This man that pulled her out of the Talen had been nothing be kind to her. Maybe her need for human kindness colored her perception, but Chloe hoped it was more a connection of kindred spirits.

Lex climbed out of the small car, smoothly rounding the hood to open Chloe's door. For a long moment he stared down at her, his mind captured by a stray bit of light that set her hair aglow.

Chloe's small hand grasping his brought Lex abruptly back to the present. She was perfect. Of all Clark's friends she was the most vulnerable to his manipulations. Pete and the Kent's didn't trust him enough to allow the kind of revenge he wanted to exact and Lana was too close to his business to mess with. He didn't want revenge to get in the way of economics.

"Lex? Are we going to stand her all day?" Chloe felt Lex start through the palm of her hand as his gaze returned to her again.

A silky smile slid across his lips. "Of course not." He pulled her closer as they turned towards the house and through the door. Lex never once released her hand.

Chloe liked the feel of his hand, large, warm, and dry. She couldn't see his face as he opened the front door, but her imagination provided a gentle image. Some part of her knew this wasn't true, but Chloe didn't care anymore. He was here and right now she needed the human contact.

Lex suddenly wondered why he was doing this. Every time in the past that he brought a woman here it had ended in disaster. His mind flinched a little at the thought of Dr. Helen Brise. She had been working for his father the day they married...the day she tried to murder him.

"Lex, why exactly did we come here?" Chloe voice held a note of uncertainty, she was beginning to feel a little uncomfortable. It was starting to occur to her that she was going to a virtual stranger's house.

"I wanted to be somewhere comfortable so we can talk. Something's obviously bugging you." He smiled warmly down at Chloe. "I figured you came here to talk to Clark," Chloe started a little at the mention of the crush of her younger years, "but I know he's gone. I felt I would be a poor, but adequate stand-in."

She was so caught up in the form of his lips that she never noticed the smile never reached his eyes. Her brief qualms disappeared like smoke in a wind.


	8. Seduction

Note: When I started this story it was 2002 (I think most of Season 2 was watched during the majority of this story, but not much after that). Any events that have happened in Smallville since then do not exist in this story. Sorry, but most of this story was written or outlined before current events and I really don't want to rewrite. Sorry, but thats life. Also I managed to miss more than a season during a move and haven't caught back up. Right now my life is complicated, but the story is finished and just awaiting my final read-through and editing.

Chapter 8: Seduction

Hours later Chloe lay curled up next to Lex; tipsy on the Yellow Birds he had made for her. There was orange juice covering up the taste of a slick sweet alcohol and it was just about the best drink she had ever tasted, though it may have had more to do with the company she was keeping than the drink itself. She knew the drink contained alcohol and she was underage, but she had watched him make the drink and there was only a little splash added. Anyway, it wasn't the first time.

Lex had deliberately added just enough alcohol to inebriate the underage girl, knowing the orange juice already contained the white rum. After the third little drink he added a drug that would help loosen the girl up even more, though he did not want to forget anything thatwould happen that nighton that night. So he ordered up a picnic dinner from the kitchen staff before sending everyone home for the night. The atmosphere was perfect for an indoor evening on a living room floor. The more time passed, the more she opened up to his sympathetic ears.

"And you know I hated him. Hated him more the I ever hated Clark for choosing Lana over me.'' Chloe giggled a little, no longer caring that Dr. Jenson was the devil incarnate. Lex had listened to every word she said and seemed equally angered that the man had unfairly judged her works. She felt she was no longer waging a one-woman war against the world.

"Clark didn't even get the bitch in the end…Pete's the one making out with her now. And I even went to visit the boy, but his mom told me he was on a fishing boat somewhere." Lex was barley able to keep up with Chloe's rapid topic changes.

"Pete and Lana?" Lex's brow furled a little. Somehow his research into Clark's friends had missed that titillating bit of information. He'd have to berate the investigator, maybe hire a new one who did more comprehensive research.

"Yep!" Turning slightly Chloe looked up into Lex's face. It seemed so beautiful in the dim light of the Tiffany lamps.

Lex returned the girls gaze, feeling old and evil. Chloe was an innocent in his battle with Clark, but then innocents were always the ones best used for revenge. The goody-two-shoes had always been overly protective of his friends and Lex had seen on more than one occasion how badly he reacted when he couldn't play protector properly. Especially since she had come looking for his help and he was not there for her in the first place.

Do it. That angry bitter voice was back. Lex didn't really feel like fighting it anymore. It was becoming so strong, and the parts that had always fought the anger were burning away. Do it.

Lex leaned down and gently kissed Chloe. His left hand cupped the back of her neck, keeping her in place. His other hand stroked her sholder.

Her eyes widened briefly then grew heavy with pleasure. She knew this was wrong. She didn't know Lex very well, but right now she didn't care, tomorrow would be soon enough to regret her actions tonight. Anyway, the man certainly knew how to kiss.

He could feel her relaxing. It would be a gentle seduction, he thought. He didn't want to scare her away before he had taken what he wanted.

* * *

Chloe woke up the next morning feeling disoriented and sluggish. She was lying under a mound of covers, cocooned in black satin sheets. She snuggled deeper, thinking this was a nice warm dream. She felt a little hung over, satisfied, and sore. 

The sunlight kept penetrating her pleasant dream. She shifted over on her side and blinked drowsily at the naked man standing near the window. He was holding the heavy blue velvet curtain back from the window.

"Lex?"

Turning he stared at her for a long moment. Chloe quickly became uncomfortable in the silence. Nervously she laughed, pulling the sheets closer to her chin, feeling shy and embarrassed.

"Huh. Who'd of thought we'd ever end up together?"

Lex snorted but never said a word as started getting dressed. Chloe was starting to feel a little scared about his silence. It had been perhaps the single most memorable and wonderful night of her life and this wasn't how the day after was supposed to be. He was supposed to smile and say nice things to her at very least.

"Umm, Lex, is something wrong?"

He frowned and then glanced down at his shirt cuffs, meticulously straitening them. He tuned away and opened the door, then paused. Lex stared intently at the harlequin black opal ring on his finger.

With a jerk he tore the ring off and threw it at Chloe. It landed on the blankets, near her chest.

"It was a lovely night, though your inexperience was unexpected. That should be enough to satisfy whatever needs you have now. I would like you to be gone by the time I get back. Loui will drive you back to town."

With that he left, closing the door softly. Chloe gasped, her eyes wide and sightless, her mind numb with shock.

Lex stopped a few feet down from the door, part of him wishing Chloe would get mad and come after him. But she didn't and the last part of him that apposed the bitter angry voice died in that moment.

He still felt a little numb about her innocence. He hadn't thought anyone her age could have been untouched. With such a passion for investigative writing it was surprising that she hadn't applied the same to some relationship.

A grim smile suddenly crossed his face. Oh well, it wasn't like he was loosing all that much at this point. His conscience started dying a long time ago and there wasn't much left after the incident with Clark.

He was a bit wistful, though, remembering the days when he had been truly happy. But the cold numbed the pain. The cold was safe, nothing could hurt him now, if he didn't care, he didn't hurt.

Pushing away from the wine red wall Lex continued down the hall, planning his day. He needed to call the investigator who was trying to keep track of Clark (though the man wasn't doing too good of a job) and tell him to increase his efforts. Lex wanted to know how Clark reacted when he got the news from Chloe. She might not tell Clark about the incident herself, but Lex would make sure the news reached him somehow. Soon.

If the world wanted to believe he was a villain, then a villain he would be. He would be the worst villain the world had ever seen.


	9. Reactions

Chapter 9: Reactions

So this is what if feels like to be less than nothing. Chloe was surprised at how little she felt. Shock was suddenly a wonderful thing. It deadened the pain she knew was lurking in the corners of her mind, waiting to burst forth.

Stiffly she pushed the covers back, but her fingers stopped when they encountered a cool bit of hardness. Lex's ring, she thought absently.

Holding it up the light from the window she was entranced by the colors shifting across the black stone. A bit of beauty that had been owned by the devil, given as a reminder to never trust anyone. Chloe slipped the ring on, though it felt a bit loose. I would remind her of this day. Remind her that once again trusting someone only lead to pain.

She stood naked in the sunlight for a moment, feeling dirty and exposed. She grabbed her clothes and headed for the bathroom. The room was as opulent as the rest of the house. An angled mirror took up half a wall with another one apposing it. Further in a sauna lay amidst a small forest. The toilet was hidden behind another door and a glass-walled tiled shower stood in the corner. The room was done up in dark blues and creamy marble.

Chloe headed for the shower, grabbing a towel from the third cuboard she opened on the way. She dumped it with her clothes on the floor outside the stall and stepped in. The first blast of water was cool, but it quickly heated. She turned the temperature as hot as she could stand and then stood there, letting the water cascade over her body.

It was a long time before she moved again. She grabbed the new brown soap and began lathering her body up. She repeated the process four times before she felt less polluted.

Chloe was not certain how much time has passed since she climbed into the shower, but her skin was bright red and wrinkly. As she dried off she began to feel dry and itchy. She dressed slowly, her eyes avoiding the mirrors.

After dressing she quickly passed through the bedroom, only pausing long enough to grab her purse before moving out into the hall.

Looking dully around Chloe wondered where she could begin looking for that Loui person. Then a movement in the shadows to her left caught her attention.

"Is that Ms. Chloe Sullivan I hear walking down these empty halls?" The older Luther slowly raised himself from the Chippendale chair he occupied in the hall.

"Mr. Luther!" Chloe was shocked out of her numbness for a moment by the sight of the man. She had heard that he had been wounded, but it never occurred to her how a man would look with his eyes cut out.The scarring wasdeeply disturbing, even the memories of the meteor mutant's changes were not as disturbing as this.

Gently taping his cane on the wood floor Lionel Luther closed the gap between himself and the young lady. He felt a bit of pity, knowing Lex was using her to get revenge on that Kent boy. Or maybe just a bit of posessivness. She had been his tool first, after all, and he did not let go of what was his without fighting for it.

I'm getting weak, Lionel thought to himself. I would have been proud of the boy a year ago, but now I've had too much time to think. I never before thought much on those people whose lives I destroyed, never much cared. But it's harder to ignore when I'm right here, right now. Before he could always distance himself with other various workings, but now he had so little to occupy his mind as Lex took more and more away from him. And again, the girl had almost been his once, one of his minions and he felt a bit possessive. She had been his first, not something he wanted to share with his son.

"Come with me, my dear. I would like to talk to you for a bit."

Chloe would have objected, but the man reached out and lightly touched her arm, then slid his hand down to grasp her elbow. She didn't know what to say. This man was Lex's father, and right now there was not anyone in the world she hated more than Lex. Not to mention all she had learned about the man over time.

Lionel felt her hesitation. "I know you have no reason to trust me… rightly so, but Iwant tohelp you."

Chloe shrugged under the blind man's hand, "I'll listen, but I doubt it will come to anything."

Lionel led her off, finding his way to a small parlor down the corridor without a misstep. The room was stunning, with brilliantly lit stained glass windows and dark, soft chairs.

Chloe studied her toes, waiting for the elder Luther to speak. "I thought having the boy become like me was a good thing, but instead I've created a monster. I took a good soul and corrupted it." He sounded both regretful, and strangly impressed at the same time.

Feeling uncomfortable Chloe stared at the man. "Why did Lex do this to me? What does he gain by hurting me?"

"Revenge. Lex wanted revenge on that Kent boy. Right now he can't strike directly at Clark so he went for the next best thing, his friends." Lionel paused. "That's what I would have done."

"So why are you helping me?"

"Because I've become an old man and the closer to death I get, the more I feel my soul. My choices in life guarantees I'm going to hell, but I'd rather not go to the deepest parts of it. This is my chance for a bit of redemption. God knows I sound pathetic, don't I?" Lionel tiredly rubbed his hand over the aching scars. He winced inwardly, realizing he was only exaggerating a bit.

Chloe shivered a little, a part of her suddenly realizing that Lex and Lionel were creatures apart from her. She wanted to leave and never have anything to do with them again. "Mr. Luther, I've been used and abused by you and yours, now I want to leave. Have your saynow before I walk out that door because from here on I will have nothing to do with you or yours."

"Do you really mean that?" Lionel leaned forward, wishing he could see her face as it would make this so much easier. "You do know the only way you'll ever completely escape my son is to cease to exist? As long as Lex knows how to find you, he will use you against Clark." He fell silent, waiting for the girl to absorb his words.

Chloe felt like crying. Yesterday she had thought her life was the worst it could be, that life didn't keep taking without ever giving. It suddenly occurred to her what Mr. Luther had said. It wasn't over. A part of her knew Lionel wanted something more of her, but since she had nothing left to give, she had nothing left to loose.

"So how do I cease to exist to Lex?"

Lionel couldn't help a small, satisfied smile from appearing on his face. "You need to die."

Shock spread through Chloe, completely obliterating the numbness. "WHAT! No way, things are bad, but I will not kill myself because I was used by that bastard."

"The only way to escape us and your life is for Chloe Sullivan to die. I don't mean really, you, silly girl, just an illusion of death. For all those who know you to think you've died."

"You mean something needs to occur that will make Lex and Clark and everyone think I'm dead."

"Smart girl!" Lionel smiled proudly, as if she were a good dog. "I can help you disappear."

Chloe's eyes narrowed. "What makes you think I would accept your help?"

"I messed up with Lex. I wanted him to be me, but he had too much of his mother in him for me to control. So I pushed harder, too hard. Created a monster."

"Yeah, you said that already, but then you were a monster first." Chloe said sarcastically.

"Call me ruthless. Tell me I have no morals. I'm a businessman who plays by his own rules, but I am not amonster. Whatever Lex is becoming is much, much worse that I ever was. I am hoping that if your death comes off as suicide, it might pull Lex back from whatever darkness that is consuming him." Lionel hoped that didn't come across as too dramatic.

Chloe frowned, surprised by Lionel's passion. "But I still have friends…" She trailed off, somehow feeling embarrassed.

"And where were they when you needed them? Not here certainly. I can create a new life for you, a fresh start, with no baggage attached."

With a start Chloe realized Lionel knew what had been happening to her at school. "You were spying on me."

Lionel smiled. "My life became a bit boring when my son took my eyes and my businesses. I've had to keep up with what projects I had left the best I could. You were always one of my favorite projects."

"Project? I was one of your projects?" She asked incredulously.

"One of my most consistently exasperating projects. You never would do what I wanted, but I liked your grit anyway." He paused. "You were spunky and determined, despite loosing everything. Of all the people I've kept up with, you're the only one I think deserves a chance for a new life, one free of us Luthers."

Chloe considered the man silently for a moment and considered her options. She could go back to college, keeping her secrets, pretend nothing would change, and hope Lex left her alone. 'Hah, not likely.'

'Option 2,' Chloe said to herself, 'I could go crying to my friends.' She sighed at herself. 'I can't run to my friends anymore, they can't save me and I am not so weak I can't stand on my own.'

'Option 3: take charge of my life, change universities, ignore Lex, and make new friends. Option 4: let Lionel Luther give me a new life. Gee, what wonderful choices.

"Option four." Chloe spoke so softly Lionel almost didn't catch it.

Lionel leaned forward, clasping his hands over his cane and resting his chin on them. "And what is Option Four?"

"I am willing to hear your proposal. I still make no promises, though." Chloe carefully began to build a wall around her heart, determined that a new life would not be screwed up life her last one.

"Since I already have an idea about how you are going to die, what we need to work on is your new life, starting with a name. Now I was thinking something like Susan or Anasefolise."

Chloe fingered Lex's ring. "I already have one in mind."


	10. Outside the Box

Chapter 10: Outside the Box

Chloe leaned back on the plush black leather seat, her eyes never leaving the group gathered around the brown casket being lowered into the ground. It felt kind of spooky. But still, she didn't feel any regret over the pain she was causing them.

Chloe had a hard time believing what she had done. 'Made a deal with a devil, I did.' Her internal voice sounded strangely like Eliza Dolittle, except her devil would never have a heart of gold beneath the cold exterior. Her friends stood out there, ranged around an empty grave. Lionel had made sure there wasn't an enough of her 'body' left at the accident site to fill a thimble.

Lionel had also insisted she remain in the limo during the funeral, he didn't want the whole charade blown by someone accidentally spotting her. He had set up some monitors around the grave so she could get a good view and hear what was said. Chloe had been rather insistent about viewing the funeral. She didn't pay much attention to the eulogy, it was the people here she wanted to watch.

For the longest time Lana stood ramrod strait, her eyes kept straying away from the grave, but something seemed to be spooking her and she started to cry. Chloe felt a stab of jealousy when Pete took her into his arms. They seemed so perfect together, her soft and fragile, him so strong and protective despite the tears that gathered in his eyes.

Chloe had always wanted that, but every time she got close to anyone things fell apart. She didn't see Pete until it was too late, Lex only wanted to use her for revenge, and Clark, well, he never really saw her as anything but a friend.

Her heart ached at the thought that she would never speak to them, never touch them again, but she still did not regret this. They had grown apart in the last year and without them there was nothing holding her to that life.

Tearing her thoughts away, Chloe turned her attention to Clark. She could see it in his face, the naked grief. After so many years with the young man she knew it wasn't that she died so much as the fact he did not save her. In the end Clark cared more about saving people than being a constant and true friend to any one person. Not that she blamed him. If Clark was good at one thing it was saving people.

A latecomer caught Chloe's eye. 'So the bastard decided to come.' Chloe felt a jolt of anger, similar to when she found out Lex had purchased her headstone. The man had no right to be here. He was the one who drove her to this, striking the last and deepest wound that led her to this point. In her mind he was the responsible for destroying her life.

Lionel on the other hand had been practically gleeful over his son's actions. "He still feels regret!" She could remember the excitement in the man's voice.

Chloe didn't care. Lex had screwed her and used her for nothing more than revenge on Clark, whom she was not even all that close to towards the end. 'I wonder if Clark even knows…no, he would never let Lex get that close if he did.'

Blinking, she noticed Clark looking directly into one of the monitors, as if he could see the tiny electronic bug. Then his gaze seemed wonder around until he was looking directly at her limo, despite the fact it was hidden behind bushes at a rather great distance from the grave. He seemed startled for a moment, and then his face fell as he turned back to grave.

'My imagination,' Chloe whispered to herself, 'it was my imagination. Clark can't see through the limo doors.'

'Really, he can't.'

Clark tried to distract himself. He didn't want to break down and sob in front of his friends and family. He had promised himself he would be strong for them. His eyes caught on a small bright object in the trees. At first he thought a magpie had a nest in there, but then he looked closer and saw it was a camera bug. 'Now why would anyone want to record this funeral?' He cut his eyes suspiciously towards Lex, but the man looked like he was truly grieving, though he had no idea why the man would care so much. Lex and Chloe had little or no association with each other as far has he knew. A suspician wavered at the edge of Clark's mind, then vanished as quickly as it came.

Glancing around using his x-ray vision Clark covertly scanned the outlying area. He almost gave up when he saw a limo hidden behind some bushes. There were two people, one looked like a male standing next to the car, the other female inside.

Shaking his head sharply Clark turned away, it was just his imagination. Some old rich woman was visiting a relative's grave, purely coincidental. He turned back to the funeral, firmly turning his thoughts back to those gathered around him and the empty casket.

The gravediggers had been long gone and twilight was settling over the graveyard. Chloe quietly opened the car door and headed for her first final resting-place. She glanced at the driver, but he acted more like a moving statue then a human being. If he was annoyed at staying in the graveyard for hours on end it didn't show.

Chloe sighed as she headed for the fresh grave with its pink headstone. He eyes flickered curiously to the inscription, eager to see what it read.

Chloe Sullivan

1987 - 2005

Beloved daughter and friend

Her life was cut short before any of her

dreams could come true.

Chloe snorted, not much of a memorial. Casually she threw a bundle of red roses down on the grave.

"Thanks for nineteen years, Chloe, though the last one really sucked." She giggled a bit, feeling silly giving herself a eulogy. "Despite your horrible death, I fear I cannot regret this since it gave me your life. Your friends will miss you, but it's for the best. Be happy Chloe, be happy in death since you couldn't be happy in life." It felt appropriate to say this to her empty grave. The feelings of regret and emptyness that had plaged her since the ...incident slowly melted away. 'A new life. A new name.' It felt like she had a new soul with those few simple words.

Chloe continued to stare at the grave until well after the moon had risen. A cricket landed on the headstone, startling her out of her contemplations.

The limo driver stood where she had left him, his tanned face still as granite. He opened the rear door for her to get in, asking no questions about their destination. Her new bags were packed and reservations made. The driver pulled through the gates and headed for the airport, leaving the graveyard behind empty and quiet.

Clark leaned back against the tree, his mind in shock. Chloe was alive. Chloe was alive and he couldn't bring himself to confront her.

All he had wanted to do was spend a last few moments alone at her grave before heading home. Seeing her standing at her own grave startled him enough when he landed that he did not confront her first off. Then her words came to him over a distance, filling him with shock. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine Chloe, sunny, happy Chloe could be so unhappy.

'She wanted us to believe she was dead.' Clark really could not understand why anyone, much less Chloe, would make their friends believe they were dead.

Clark's brow furled a little as his thoughts became more troubled. She allegedly had been driving from Smallville to college when the accident had occurred. His mother had seen her the day before. Apparently Chloe had come by to see him, though she never told his mother why. 'Mother said she came by early Friday, but the accident occurred on Saturday. What happened in a day that led to her fake death?'

Clark turned and headed towards town, his destination the local hotel. Though he didn't feel it was the right time to confront Chloe about her fake death, he couldn't resist making a few investigative inquiries. He dropped his speed down to a reasonable walk when he got to town, but it still only took a few minutes to reach the motel.

The clerk behind the desk was young, but had been only a year behind Clark.

"Hey, Clark. Heard about Chloe, man I'm really sorry."

Clark looked at the dark-haired skinny girl. "Thanks." He paused. "I was wondering if Chloe spent Friday night here. I wanted to put together an article for her, but I wasn't sure what she was doing the last few days."

Samantha, the clerk, nodded then pulled out the registry. "I only work on Saturday and Sunday." She flipped through. "No, she wasn't here on Friday, but she did stay here Thursday night." She paused, then added, "I heard she was at the Talon Friday afternoon with Lex Luther. My friend Angie was there and saw them leave together. Told me they looked real friendly."

Startled Clark leaned closer to Samantha. "With Lex? Are you sure?"

"Positive. Angie's always got a eye out for what's happening at the Talon, mostly cause she's the worst gossip, but she never tells a lie. Says the truth is more than interesting enough. Said Chloe came in alone and tortured a donut and coffee for a while, the Mr. Luther came in and sat with her. Angie said they left together in Mr. Luther's Spider, and Chloe was seen the next day being dropped off by a chauffeur at her car that had been left in front of the Talon all night.

Clark blinked at the slew of information, then thanked the girl and left, his thoughts dark.

Chloe quietly walked through the airport checkpoint. With each step she took she could feel her former life falling away.

A small smile twisted her face as she handed her ticket to the taker. The woman politely smiled at her. "We'll be seating first class in about 15 minutes, Ms. Quinzell. You can wait over there until we make the call."

Lex stared blindly at the colorful banners in the Talon. Perhaps he had gone too far with this last bit of revenge. He had not meant for the girl to die. Obviously she had been a bit more unstable than he expected. He did not think she even had time to tell Clark what had happened before dying, which made this whole charade pratically meaningless.

Absently he tapped his finger against his glass. He was actually feeling guilt over the death of Chloe. On the other hand Clark had looked really broken up over her death. The satisfaction it brought almost covered the feeling of guilt.

The bell rang quietly through the café. A shadow fell over Lex and looking up he stared into the face of Clark.

The young man pulled the chair out across from Lex. "I heard you left here with Chloe the day before she died." Clark gave Lex a hard stare.

Lex smirked. "So what if I did." Perfect.

"I want to know what you did to her. Mom said she came by to see me, the she comes here, leaves with you, and the next day she drives over a cliff. What did you do to Chloe Sullivan?"

"Clark, you're repeating yourself." Clark glared at him. "Yes, I met Chloe here, we talked, and we left together. I took her back to my house, we talked more, slept together, and then she left."

Clark's mouth dropped and his eyes grew wide. His fist clenched around his cup, shattering it. "You slept with Chloe?"

Lex grinned. "She didn't mind at the time. She wasn't that good though, no experience you know." He moved to leave, but Clark roughly grabbed his arm, forcing him to stay in the seat.

"Really Clark, you can't blame me. It was you who was not there for her when she needed someone. We had the longest talk that night. Did you know she was having a horrible time at school? Or that she felt abandoned by her friends?" Leaning forward Lex gripped Clark's hand. "She came here expecting you to save her and you weren't here. Some friend you are."

Clark wrenched his hand out of Lex's grip. "You bastard." He wanted nothing more than to bash Lex's face in. It took all his self-control to resist the temptation. Slowly Clark stood up. "Stay away from my friends, Lex. If I find out you've messed with any more of my friends, I won't be responsible for what I do to you."

"So I have a get out of jail free for messing with Chloe? Is the first one free or is it you just didn't care as much about her?"

Clark's eyes widened, "Do you not feel any regret for her death?"

Lex grinned. "All I did was sleep with her. One night stands happen every day, and people don't go driving over cliffs because of it. I feel no guilt because I was not the cause of her dispair. I was not her friend. I was not her confidant, I was not her savior." With each statement Clark flinched a little, giving Lex a jolt of glee.

"Whatever was wrong with the girl started a long time before I ever touched her. So if you're looking for someone to blame, look in a mirror, Clark." With that last statement Lex left the cafe. Clark could not find the energy to go after him. His words rang to true, and the guild felt to heavy.


	11. Eulogy

Chapter 11: Eulogy

Gothom City University, January a year and a half later 

Guy Kopski stepped into the sunlight, blinking owlishly. He sighed heavily as he looked at his watch. Once again he had pulled an all-nighter in the physics lab without realizing it.

The snow lay thick on the ground, obscuring the landscape. Few students were out making trails through the fresh snow, barely marring its beauty.

Guy took a deep breath of the frigid air, promptly doubled over in a coughing fit as the air hit his underused lungs. His books landed on the ground with a slushy thud.

Breathing shallowly Guy held onto his knees for another minute before reaching for his books. While he was looking down another hand joined his to help pick up. It was a nice hand, slender fingers that could easily hold small things in place.

Looking up Guy was startled that the young lady holding the books out to him was a cutie. Blond hair, blue eyes, smartly dressed. Not the kind of person to that normally talked to him.

"Uhhh. Thanks." He smiled enduringly at the girl. "I'm Guy Kopski, by the way. Just so you know I'm a physics major, so if you want to run away, now would be the time."

The girl burst out laughing, almost dropping the books she held. "Actually, I want to run away less now than I did just a minute ago. I'm Harleen Quinzel." He thought the way she almost hesitated before saying her name was a bit odd, but dismissed it. She continuted, "I'm majoring in psychology, so you may be the one to want to run away before I try to analyze you."

Guy shook his head. "Nah, but a hot chocolate in this weather with a pretty girl would be great." His eyes widened a bit at his forwardness, he was never this forward with people, much less girls.

But instead of giving a negative response, this one special girl smiled. "If I can have a coffee with your chocolate, it's a date. I know this great little café that's in walking distance…" She trailed off as if expecting _him_ to turn her down.

He held his hands out for his books. "It's a date."

Chloe smiled happily that night in her room. With the money Lionel Luther had set her up with she had been able to afford a single room apartment near Gothom University. She thought back to the last time she had seen Smallville, it had become like a distant dream. The plane trip had distanced her from that past. When she landed in California she had left the airport, boarded a bus and headed east.

Sprinkled though the suitcases had been enough cash in unmarked bills to help out. Halfway across the United States she finally decided on a destination. Gothom City had been known for its high-profile oddities, and a person like her could easily disappear there.

The only drawback Chloe could see for her new life was the knowledge Lionel Luther knew who she was. It was a risk she had to deal with for now. Without resources she could do nothing to change the situation. For now.

In Gothom City Chloe had managed to find a nice place to live and eventually decided to go back to school. Working at a fast food joint really was not all it was cracked up to be. At first she looked into the University's journalist program, but the very sight of the program in the catalog had filled her with such horrible memories she was almost physically sick. In the end she went in as an undecided. During that first semester as an undecided the only class that truly held her interest was the Psychology 101 course.

Even the beginner's course made her feel able to deal a bit better with the issues she had with her life. It made horrible events in her life seem somehow less. And she wanted more of that feeling. Understanding brought control. It was different that investigative journalism, more personal, but in the end it came out the same. Understanding in a muddled world.

The sound of the microwave finishing her Roman Noodles brought Chloe out of her reminiscences.

The past was gone now. A new, clean life was hers. And that boy, Guy, seemed really interesting. It was a chance, but the loneliness of the past year or so was wearing thin. Maybe this time it would be different.

And she really needed to stop thinking of herself as Chloe. It was Harley now. Harleen Francis Quinzel.

THE END…

Notes: In case someone reading this didn't pick up on my non-subtle hints, the way I wrote this story, Chloe became the infamous Harley Quinn, that crazy girl in love with Batman's Joker.

Incidently because of moving and such I have not been able to watch Smallville since season 3, so I must remind you that this story is old and anything that happened since mid-season 3 has absolutly no place in this story's universe. Sorry.

No, I don't think there will be any more on Clark or Lex in this story. Primarily this was a CHLOE story, told mostly from her point of view, about what happened to her, not anyone else. I don't know what happened with Clark and Lex after they left the Talon that day. And no, in my little universe neither Clark nor Lex was able to find Chloe again, at least not until after she became Joker's girl. But that's another story...maybe. And no, also, Lionel did not bother the poor girl again.

The character Guy Kopski is from the Harley Quinn titled comics. He was Harley's college boyfriend who was killed.

So yes, in my universe Chole Sullivan ends up as Harleen Quinzel, psychotic girlfriend to the Joker and all that jazz.

As they say, "That's All Folks."


End file.
